The BC Highland Dance Association hosted the B.C. Open Championships in Port Moody.
Nine dancers from Brigadoon Dance Academy (Nanaimo/Comox) competed. Each dancer competed in the four championship dances – Fling, Sword, Seann Truibhas and Reel.
In the 12 Years Championship, Cameron Kearns won 2 Gold, 1 Silver and a 4th place. She was 1st Runner Up.
Also in the 12 Years Championship, Shawndelle LaChance won 1 Bronze, a 4th place and a 5th place. She was 4th Runner Up.
In the 13 Years Championship, Amelia Emerson won a Silver, and two 5th placings. She was 3rd Runner Up.
In the 14 Years Championship, Anissa Jahromi won two Bronze and a 4th place. She was 3rd Runner Up.
In the 15 Year Old Championshp, Rachel Bramley won a Bronze, two 4th placings and a 6th place. She was 3rd Runner Up.
In the 16/17 Years Championship, Jillian Peacock won a Gold, 2 Silver and a Bronze. She was 1st Runner Up.
In the 21 Years & Over Championship, Samantha Beach won two 4th placings and two 5th placings. She was 4th Runner Up. Zoya Lehrke and Caileigh Clark also danced beautifully.
These dancers are training hard for the Western Canadian Highland Dance Championships in Kamloops (March 23 and 24). After that, their main focus is preparing for the BC Closed Championships in May.
Dancers who are top 3, in their respective age categories, will go on to represent B.C. at the Canadian Highland Dance Championships in Montreal this July. This is a more difficult level because the age categories are combined.
In 2012, Samantha Beach, Jillian Peacock and Cameron Kearns were all provincial representatives for British Columbia.
For more information, contact Diena and Charles Henry at 250-756-3661 or brigadoondanceacademy@shaw.ca.
— Brigadoon Dance Academy